Volume I: County Durham and Northumberland

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Current Display: Hexham 40, Northumberland Forward button Back button
Overview
Present Location
Niche in north wall of modern nave of abbey
Evidence for Discovery
Found in garden of Hexham House; moved into church in 1888
Church Dedication
St Andrew
Present Condition
Unworn
Description

The piece seems to be trapezoidal, and the 'bottom'(?) is smoothly dressed. The `top'(?) or narrowest section is rough and possibly broken off. The ornamental zones run round all four vertical faces, and this seems to be a complete section of ornament. At the top and bottom are rows of heavy pellets, and at the centre a single cable; the pellets and cable are divided from each other by plain heavy roll mouldings.

Discussion

Despite the fact that these mouldings may be individually found in Roman sculpture, such as for the cappings of altars, the pellets and cables can also be found on other undoubtedly Saxon pieces such as 26 and 28. If this is an impost, then it differs from the others, which are all strictly rectangular and without rounded corners. It seems therefore more reasonable to assume that it is a form of free-standing base, although where it should fit in the architectural scheme of the church is uncertain.

Date
Last quarter of seventh to last quarter of eighth century
References
Hodges 1890, no. A10, p. 24; Hodges and Gibson 1919, 67; Collingwood 1925, 72, fig. 5s; Collingwood 1927, 28, fig. 35s; Taylor and Taylor 1961, 119; Taylor and Taylor 1965, 304; Taylor and Taylor 1966, 46; Cramp 1967a, 23, no. 44; Cramp 1974, 122, 178, pl. 12B-E
Endnotes
1. The following are general references to the Hexham stones: (—) 1855-7a, 45-6; Rowe 1877, 62-3; Allen 1889, 230; Bailey 1980, 79, 81, 83.

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